Apparatus for annealing continuous sheets of glass



Sept. 26, 1933.

C. HEUZE APPARATUS FOR ANNEALING CONTINUOUS SHEETS OF GLASS Filed Oct. 3l, 1927 i /N ve/v TagA UNiTED sTATEs PATENT oFi-icE APPARATUS FOR ANNEALING CONTINUOUS SHEETS OF GLASS Charles Heuze, Auvelais, Belgium, assignor to T lie American Bicheroux Company, a corporation of Delaware Application October 31, 1927, Serial No. 230,122,

, and in Belgium December 7, 1926 6 Claims. (Cl. 49-47) The present invention relates to the annealing more effectively regulate the reheating of the said ofglass and concerns particularly the annealing edges.

of glass in the form of sheets, such as those The invention further consists, in the reheating produced in a continuous manner. method in accordance with any of the preceding Generally speaking the sheet of glass formed paragraphs, in so conducting the reheating in the 60 by any continuous process reaches the annealing successive regions through which the sheet passes, apparatus in a completely unbalanced thermal that the latter will be progressively heated at any state. Normally, the temperature of the lower point up to a temperature above the critical anface is lower than the temperature of the upper nealingtemperature, and then cooled down to the face, especially on account ofthe effect of the handling temperatures, or in other Words, in transporting means, guide rollers, etc., and of the causing the sheet to pass through successive natural tendency for heat to be propagated upregions of increasing temperature and then wards. Further, the edges of the sheet, the radthrough successive regions of decreasing terniating surfaces of which are comparatively larger, perature, the heat in each of such regions being are substantially colder than the central part, controlled and adjusted at will when necessary, 70 In order to insure that the sheet be annealed, and the heating in each of the said regions being it is necessary to raise its temperature to a point essentially located at the bottom thereof, with above a so called critical annealing temperature, however the possibility of extending the heating and to maintain such temperature for a certain effects to a greater or less degree to either of the time, and at the same time to effectively control sides or to the top. 75

the reheating temperatures during the entire In addition lto the above mentioned process, the

annealing period, invention includes apparatus suitable for carry- In order that the annealing may be uniform, ing out such process, and particularly the annealthe previously existing differences in temperature ing apparatus, in Which the glass Sheets are introare to be taken into account as we11 as the vari.. duced and conveyed in a continuous manner and o ous influences which remain or occur during the which comprise a set of inutile sections each of annealing nros which has an heating floor located below the In the present reheating methods and the anlCWfl Dart thereof, means for Supporting and conneaung apparatus used, the sheet of glass not veying the sheets above the said heating floor so 85 only has its lower face in direct Contact with the that it will screen the radiated heat and the iluid transporting means, but also has its upper surincluded between the sheet and the heating nooiface subjected to the intense radiation from the and heated PY th? latter; means for conducting roof, while the temperatures of its edges are M and, if required, for controlling the flow of the fected by the vicinityof the lateral walls of the said fluid to the lateral edges and towards the 90 annealing apparatus, upper face of the sheet, and means for conducto the'nvention is to insure a ein ing to any other point of each section a part of fehnjmm eaung of Sheets of gass the heat produced taken from any heating region. and especially of the sheets made by a continuous In Order Phat. the mventlon. may. be Clearly 40 process by simple and effective means thus avod understood, 1t will now be'described in reference mg any warping of same to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical cross section of a inFolhfpgigsolgoofsl preferred form of annealing apparatus in accordtherenecassay period so as 7) act more dirctly ance with the invention, the said section passing i on one side through the axis of a burner 1'6 and 911 lSthCOlfrller tfabce, tlat is, generally;y lts lOWel on the other side through the axis of a duct 12. 100

lamgesuge Slat lllgseaat'da eggya Fig. 2 is a longitudinal and central section of 1 the same a aratus. ing the space between the source and the sheet, In accornce with the above, the annealing 5o 1S Caused to the lower face and to now around apparatus comprises a series of heating sections the lateral edges 0f th? latter and thus l'eheats which, according to a preferred construction, are theTaiciinfacetnd tie said fiedtgesith th d f assembled into a muflle extending along a desired e ven 0n a S0 Cons S S, I1 e me 0 0 length of the path of the sheet l, supported and reheatiriirg in atcccli'iclllantcl wth th? ecldiltlgdpra moved .by the rollers, guides or other equivalent .grap con ro g e owo e eae ui means2.

passing around the edges of the sheet, so as to As will be seen, the munie is not extended no throughout the entire length of the annealing apparatus but only through the regions in which the glass is reheated and annealed, operations during which it is necessary to control accurately the temperatures of the sheet.

Below the so called critical annealing temperatures, mainly physical treatment, and the variations in the temperature of the sheet do not have to be adjusted with so much accuracy.

The muffle is provided in its lower part with heating chambers 5, separated from each other by walls 4 supporting the refractory floor 3 provided with openings such as 6 and 7 the areas of which are controlled by means of dampers 211 operated by suitable means from outside of. the apparatus.

The chambers 5 are heated by suitable means, such as burners 16 located at proper points in the side walls of the chambers, and supplied through gas ducts 14 controlled by means of valves 15.

According to one feature of the invention, the draught is downward, the burnt gas escaping by passing mainly through the openings 7 in the successive chambers and through the ducts 17 in the back part ofthe oven, beyond the muie, towards a duct 18 communicating with a chimney.

The effective areas of the ducts 17 are adjusted by means of dampers 19 also operated by suitable means from outside the apparatus.

The above mentioned arrangement of burners, ducts and dampers enables the temperatures to be effectively controlled in each of the chambers 5, individually and in the entire mufile, and at any desired point in each particular chamber.

In the upper part of the apparatus above the roof of the muflle, there is provided chambers 8 Iseparated by partitions 9 but communicating with each other through openings such as 10. the areas of which can be modif-led by the dampers 11.

The said chambers 8 are further preferably' connected to the chambers 5 by means of the vertical ducts 12 opening into the latter at 13, said ducts 12 enabling either the introduction of the hot gas into the chambers 8 or to subject the latter to the action of the draught, according to the requirements, so as to be able to effectively control the temperatures of the roof at any point of same and thus controlling its radiation.

The ducts 12 also reduce the cooling effect of the side walls of the apparatus, as will be readily understood.

The ducts 12 can be arranged as shown i. e., a duct 12, opening out between the burner 16 and the transverse wall 4, can be provided in each side wall of the apparatus for each heating chamber, or the communicating ducts 12 can be distributed in staggered relation upon the length of the apparatus so that an upward duct 12 will be located on the other side of the oven approximately opposite a burner 1 6 in the corresponding chamber 5, so that the fuel gas not used in the said chamber or not discharged through the openings 6 or 7, Will rise through the duct 12 and heat the muflleroof, and pass therefrom through the openings 10 to the following muflles of the roof. A f

Beyond the muflle, Where, as above mentioned, it is not necessary to so accurately control the temperatures as in the reheating and annealing sections, the apparatus has only bottom chambers 5 also separated by walls 4 with openings 6 and 7 controlled by dampers 21, the said chambers 5 communicating through the ducts 17 having dampers 19, with the duct 18 leading to the chimney.

the glass undergoes subsequently only a l The sheet of glass 1, conveyed by the rollers 2, is mainly reheated on its lower face, both by radiation from the floor 3 and by contact with the heated huid included between the floor and the sheet which, in accordance to the invention, is disposed like a screen above the heat source.

The heated fluid, the natural tendency of which is to rise, bathes the under face of the sheet 1, and moreover cannot escape except by passing and heating the lateral edges of the latter.

In order to effectively adjust the heating of the said edges of the sheet, the flow and the contact of the hot fluid is controlled by placing adjustable baffles 20, hung from the side walls, above the edges of the glass. The baffles can also be fixed, but in such case they are provided with separate ends 21 adapted to be moved towards or away from the sheet as for example through the intermediary of operating rods 22, as shown.

The apparatus being thus arranged, it is clear that the glass can be reheated and annealed according to a predetermined law of temperatures; by compensating for the previously existing differences between the upper and lower faces or between other parts of the sheet, and overcoming the various influences tending to maintain or to increase the said differences in temperature.

The method of operation and thearrangement of the apparatus according to the invention en able a uniform, compensated and perfect anneal of the sheet to be obtained.

Various modifications can be made in the arrangement of the apparatus described and illustrated without departing from the spirit of the invention. i

Iclaim: l`

1. An apparatus for annealing glass sheets comprising a leer, means for supporting and carrying the sheet in a path in said leer, means for heating a fluid below the sheet path and means requiring such hot fluid to pas's around the 1ateral edges of the sheet path, such means comprising bales supported above and in the vicinity o1' the sheet path.

2. An apparatus for annealing glass sheets n comprising a leer, means-for supporting and car- 'rying the sheet in a path in said leer, means for heating a uidbelow the sheet path and means requiring such hot fluid to pass around the lateral edges of the sheet path, such means comprising baffles supported'above the sheet path on the sidewalls of the leer and extending laterally beyond the edges of said sheet path.

3. An apparatus for annealing glass sheets comprising a leer, means for supporting and carrying the sheet in a path in said leer, means for heating a fluid below the sheet path and means for controlling the ow of the heated fluid under the sheet path beyond the lateral edges of the latter, the said means comprising bafiies hung from the side walls of the leer and extending over the edges of the sheet path.

4. An apparatus for annealing glass sheets comprising a leer, means for supporting and carrying the sheet in a path in said leer, means for heating a fluid below the sheet path and means for controlling the flow of the heated fluid under the sheet path, beyond the lateral edges of the latter, said means comprising baflles hung from the side walls of the leer and extending over the edges of the sheet path, and movable wings hung at the inner ends of said baffles and means to adjust the distance between the Wings and the sheet path.

5. An apparatus Afor annealing glass sheets comprising a leer, means for supporting and carrying the sheet in said leer, means for heating a uid below the sheet with means for controlling the escape of the heated uid from under the sheet and for directing it along the lateral edges of the sheet and locally on the top face of the sheet adjacent said edges only.

CHARLES HEUZE. 

